Seven years ago Curtis Main was coming to terms with being released by Darlington.

Now he stands between Celtic and a domestic Scottish treble.

The powerful Geordie resurrected his career with Middlesbrough at the age of 18 when he was signed by Tony Mowbray in the summer of 2011 following a trial.

Despite breaking into the Darlington first team as a raw 15-year-old, Main wasn’t expected to feature in the Boro starting XI in the 2011/12 season.

But a series of impressive displays for the reserves and a lack of other options up front convinced Mowbray to give him a try and he was used as an impact sub over the second half of that campaign.

Curtis Main celebrates semi-final goal for Motherwell

The teenager scored memorable goals in away wins at Millwall and Derby and made his first senior start for the club in an FA Cup replay against Sunderland at the Riverside in February 2012.

Main, who was at one stage loaned out to Shrewsbury, was still at Boro when Aitor Karanka replaced Mowbray in November 2013 and the Spaniard was impressed with the striker’s work ethic and used him as a willing runner who would battle for the ball and retain possession in the final third over the second half of the season.

Since then, a long, winding journey has taken the now 25-year-old to Motherwell via Doncaster, Oldham and Portsmouth.

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And, ahead of the Scottish Cup final against champions and League Cup holders Celtic, Main has spoken to the Times about his past experiences and hopes for the future.

On his early years, he said: “Maybe I struggled a bit for consistency when I was a younger player.

Curtis Main celebrates scoring for Middlesbrough against Derby County

“But I’m a confident footballer. I’ve got self-belief. I’ve been playing football since I was knee-high.

“I know what I’m capable of and feel I’ve got a lot of ability. It is just having the stage and the platform to show my ability that has been lacking in parts of my career.

“I remember when I was 15 or 16 and I broke into the Darlington team,” he added, “there was a lot of interest in me from Premier League clubs at that time. I went on trial at various clubs but for one reason or another it never worked out.

“Then I signed for Middlesbrough and went from playing for Darlington in the Conference to playing for Middlesbrough in the Championship.

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“It was a massive step up for me. Initially I went into the Boro Reserves and scored lots of goals, and then I got called up to the first team.

“From there, I never really went back. I spent the following few years - sometimes in and out - playing for the Middlesbrough first team.

“Like I said, maybe I struggled for consistency. I was a young player at the time. I still believe I can play at a high level, though where that challenge will come, I’m not too sure. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to play in the Premier League in England, because who doesn’t? I would love that.

Curtis Main scores his second for Motherwell against Aberdeen

“In my career I just want to play at as high a level possible.”

Main has endured tough times, suffering injury setbacks and form fluctuations. He’s also played for clubs that have had serious financial problems and managerial uncertainty.

“I’ve experienced a lot,” he admitted. “I’ve been at clubs going into administration and then liquidation.

“I’d had injuries and it was one of the main reasons I wasn’t able to play much football. I had one injury in particular in recent times, a knee problem, which no-one could diagnose. So I couldn’t get fit.

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“I’ve seen a lot culturally as well in football - different managers with different styles of play. I’ve seen different ways of management, both tactically and also in terms of man-management. And, on that front, I’ve seen more bad than good.

“It’s funny. You can come across managers who are still relatively young, who are not long out of their playing careers, and you think, ‘surely you can’t have forgotten what it is like to be a player, for you to go and manage the way you are managing?’ Maybe it’s the pressure that does something to managers, or the environment at certain clubs. But football managers certainly make for some interesting studies.

Curtis Main

“If there is a battle or a challenge out there I’m the sort that rolls up his sleeves and says, ‘right, come on, let’s get into it’,” added Main. “I relish that type of environment. I have physicality and I have aggression.

“But I’m a bit reluctant to say that’s it, that’s all my game is. I feel I’ve got a lot more to offer and I think various managers and players I’ve played with would agree with me about that. I’m not just about aggression. I have other parts to my game.”

Motherwell are certainly underdogs going into Saturday’s Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park but Main is determined to spoil the Hoops’ treble bid.

He said: “A winner’s medal for me: that is what it’s got to be.

“Nobody goes into a cup final hoping to get second place. That is my mindset and I’m sure it is the same for everybody else in the club.

“Outside of this club, everybody will have written us off. That’s fine. When I stand out there on the pitch there will be no inferiority complex in me as an individual.

Curtis Main in action for Boro

“Collectively, as a team, maybe it is a bit different but, individually, it comes down to your own belief and confidence and character.

“We go to win, nothing else. If there is a battle or a challenge out there I’m the sort that rolls up his sleeves. A Scottish Cup winner’s medal - that is what it’s got to be. That is my mindset.”